Poll: Obama leading in key battlegrounds Fla., Ohio and Va.

A Fox News poll released Thursday is the latest to show that President Obama has an edge in three crucial swing states that could decide this fall’s election between him and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

According to the poll, Mr. Obama leads by 7 percentage points in Ohio and Virginia and is also leading by 5 points in Florida.

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Polls in the states showed that 49 percent of likely voters in Ohio prefer the president compared to 42 percent for Mr. Romney, and that Mr. Obama holds a 50-43 edge in Virginia and a 49-44 edge in Florida.

The poll did note that numbers are much tighter among voters who say they are “extremely” interested in the election, with the president holding a 2-point edge in Virginia, a 1-point edge in Ohio and the race being tied in Florida. The poll also showed that independent voters are divided relatively evenly between the candidates.

Polling in all three states showed that a majority of voters are unhappy with the nation’s current standing but trust the president more than Mr. Romney to oversee its economic recovery.